THE  LINCOLN  SCHOOL 

LIBRARY 


4 


By  Anne  T.  Eaton 

Librarian,  The  Lincoln  School 
Teachers  College 


The  Lincoln  School  of  Teachers  College 
425  West  123rd  Street  •  New  York  City 

1923 


Ex  ICtbrts 


SEYMOUR  DURST 


1 


FORT    NEW  AMSTERDAM 


(NEW  YORK  )  ,  1651. 


'When  you  leave,  please  leave  this  book 

Because  it  has  been  said 
"Ever  thing  comes  t'  him  who  waits 

Except  a  loaned  book." 


OLD   YORK   LIBRARY  —  OLD    YORK  FOUNDATION 


Avery  Architectural  and  Fine  Arts  Library 
Gift  of  Seymour  B.  Durst  Old  York  Library 


THE  LINCOLN  SCHOOL  LIBRARY* 


By  ANNE  T.  EATON 

Librarian,  The  Lincoln  School,  Teachers  College 

The  broader  view  of  education  which  has  led  to  changes  in 
methods  of  teaching  has  also  brought  about  the  development  of 
school  libraries  that  take  a  very  active  and  comprehensive  part  in 
the  intellectual  life  of  the  school.  Instruction  is  no  longer  carried 
on  merely  by  means  of  text-books,  but  through  the  comparison  of 
authorities,  the  consultation  of  sources,  and  the  use  of  maps,  pic- 
tures, lantern  slides,  and  other  illustrative  materials.  Here  is  one 
task  of  the  library,  difficult  enough  in  itself;  but  there  must  be 
added  to  this  the  additional  task  of  cultivating  a  taste  for  good 
literature  and  forming  the  reading  habit.  To  fulfil  its  purpose, 
then,  the  school  library  must  be  a  many-sided  organization. 

For  the  high -school  library  definite  standards  have  already  been 
accepted.  In  191 5,  the  library  committee  of  the  department  of 
secondary  education  of  the  National  Education  Association  was 
organized  for  the  purpose  of  investigating  conditions  in  school 
libraries.  The  committee,  of  which  Mr.  C.  C.  Certain  was  chairman, 
made  a  report  on  standard  library  organization  and  equipment  for 
secondary  schools  of  different  sizes,  which  was  accepted  by  the 
secondary  department  of  the  National  Education  Association  and 
by  the  North  Central  Association  of  Colleges  and  Secondary 
Schools,  and  was  published  by  the  National  Education  Association 
and,  in  revised  form,  by  the  American  Library  Association. 

In  this  report  certain  specific  recommendations  are  made  with 
regard  to  housing,  equipment,  and  amount  of  appropriation;  and 
emphasis  is  laid  on  the  necessity  of  employing  a  trained  librarian. 
Similar  standards  will  undoubtedly  be  adopted  for  the  organization 
of  libraries  for  the  intermediate  and  elementary  grades.  In  the 
meantime  there  is  growing  up  another  type  of  school  library,  of 
which  the  Lincoln  School  library  is  an  example,  which  serves  all 
the  grades  from  I  to  XII. 

Housing  and  Equipment 

The  housing  and  equipment  of  a  library  are  very  important  fac- 
tors in  its  usefulness.  The  Lincoln  School  library  is  in  the  heart 
*  Reprinted  from  Teachers  College  Record,  Vol.  XXIV,  No.  1  (January,  1923). 


THE  LINCOLN  SCHOOL 


of  the  school,  on  the  third  floor  of  the  five-story  building.  It  occu- 
pies three  rooms;  in  the  middle  is  the  main  reading  room,  on  one 
side  a  special  library  class  room,  and  on  the  other  the  librarian's 
work  room,  which  is  also  fitted  with  stacks  for  the  storage  of  sup- 
plies and  new  books.  The  library  class  room  is  equipped  with 
bulletin  board,  blackboard,  shelves  like  those  in  the  main  room, 
and  small  tables  that  may  be  so  placed  as  to  make  one  large  table. 
It  is  used  for  such  group  work  as  requires  the  use  of  library  material 
for  book  talks,  for  lessons  in  the  use  of  books,  and  for  story  hours. 

The  main  room  has  seats  for  fifteen  per  cent  of  the  pupils  in  the 
school  and  shelves  for  about  5,000  books.  One  end  is  especially 
adapted  to  the  use  of  elementary  school  pupils;  the  tables  and 
chairs  are  lower,  and  the  two  upper  shelves  are  covered  by  hinged 
bulletin  boards,  so  that  all  books  are  within  the  reach  of  the  smallest 
children.  The  bulletin  boards  thus  provided,  as  well  as  two  larger 
ones  placed  between  the  windows,  are  used  for  posting  notices,  for 
displaying  pictures  and  book-lists,  and  for  various  matters  of  interest 
to  the  school.  The  radio  division  of  the  science  club,  for  example, 
has  been  given  the  use  of  one  of  the  boards  for  posting  notices  and 
radio  news  of  general  interest. 

The  books  are  arranged  by  subject,  according  to  the  decimal 
classification.  The  general  reference  collection,  however,  is  kept  to- 
gether. The  books  used  by  the  second  and  third  grades  are  also 
placed  together,  at  the  children's  end  of  the  room,  to  make  the 
selection  of  a  book  an  easier  matter. 

The  equipment  of  the  main  room  includes  a  card  catalogue,  a 
case  for  filing  lantern  slides,  vertical  files  for  pictures  and  informa- 
tion clippings,  a  magazine  rack,  and  a  display  case — a  combination 
of  shelf  and  bulletin  board  which  is  very  useful  in  attracting  atten- 
tion to  material  bearing  on  special  topics  or  matters  of  current 
interest.  A  glass-topped  case  is  used  for  loan  exhibitions  of  rare 
editions,  science  collections,  works  of  art,  or  the  work  of  the  children. 

Housing  and  equipment  are  important,  but  the  modern  school 
library  is  distinguished  from  the  library  of  the  past  by  an  advance 
of  still  greater  significance.  Not  only  are  its  books  more  wisely 
chosen  and  more  adequately  housed,  but  they  are  presided  over  by 
someone  whose  sole  duty  is  to  make  the  library  felt  as  a  constant 
force  throughout  the  school,  a  person  specifically  trained  to  organize 
library  material,  to  prepare  books  for  the  shelves,  and  to  make  the 
resources  of  the  library  available.  Only  upon  such  a  foundation  of 


LINCOLN  SCHOOL  LIBRARY 


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efficient  organization  can  be  brought  about  the  accomplishment  of 
such  important  results  as  the  formation  of  good  reading  habits,  the 
cultivation  of  a  taste  for  good  books,  and  cooperation  with  the  work 
of  all  departments  and  grades.  In  order  that  such  cooperation  may 
be  carried  on  at  its  best,  there  must  be  opportunity  for  the  librarian 
to  visit  classes,  to  attend  meetings  of  the  staff  and  of  students,  to 
be  present  at  assemblies,  and  in  other  ways  to  keep  in  constant 
touch  with  the  activities  of  the  school.  The  Lincoln  School,  there- 
fore, employs  a  trained  librarian  and  a  trained  assistant  librarian. 

The  Work  of  the  Library 

The  Lincoln  School  library  aims  to  do  two  things:  first,  to  pro- 
vide a  well-balanced  collection  of  books  for  the  use  of  pupils  and 
teachers  in  class-room  and  laboratory  work;  second,  to  build  up  a 
collection  of  books  for  general  reading,  that  will  appeal  to  boys  and 
girls  of  all  ages  and  various  tastes  and  will  help  them  to  develop  the 
reading  habit  and  a  taste  for  good  literature.  A  study  of  the  con- 
tents of  one  thousand  high-school  libraries,  by  Mr.  Glenn  of  the 
Lincoln  School,  has  shown  that  in  many  cases  the  majority  of  the 
books  in  those  libraries  are  for  the  use  of  the  English  and  the  history 
departments.1  His  study  will  undoubtedly  lead  to  a  more  balanced 
distribution  of  books,  and  should  encourage  the  cooperation  of 
teachers  of  all  subjects  in  building  up  the  library.  In  the  Lincoln 
School,  books  are  ordered  by  the  librarian  after  consultation  with 
teachers  whose  acquaintance  with  books  in  their  special  fields  is  of 
the  greatest  benefit,  while  the  supervision  of  the  librarian  forestalls 
the  possibility  of  the  collection  becoming  overbalanced  in  favor  of 
any  one  department,  or  of  its  possessing  too  many  duplicates. 

Besides  the  books  more  directly  connected  with  the  work  of  the 
class  room,  stress  is  laid  on  building  up  a  collection  of  books  for 
general  reading,  a  collection  which  shall  appeal  to  boys  and  girls  of 
all  ages  and  all  tastes.  There  is  a  book  which  will  appeal  even  to  the 
boy  who  reads  with  difficulty  and  prefers  to  work  with  his  hands, 
and  he  will  read  it  when  it  is  found  and  presented  to  him  at  the 
right  time.  Far  more  is  accomplished,  in  the  beginning  at  least,  in 
the  way  of  cultivating  the  reading  habit  by  giving  a  pupil  the  book 

1  Glenn,  Earl  R.  "Past  and  Present  Practice  in  High-School  Library  Book  Selection 
from  the  Viewpoint  of  a  Science  Teacher."  School  Science  and  Mathematics,  xxi: 
217-237  (March,  1921).  Also  in  The  Library  Journal,  xlvi:  247-251,  297-300  (March 
15  and  April  1,  1921). 


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THE  LINCOLN  SCHOOL 


which  he  will  read  even  if  it  is  not  of  the  highest  type,  than  by 
forcing  upon  him  the  classic  in  which  he  has  no  interest.  The  book 
tastes  of  the  boy  who  said  the  three  things  he  liked  best  were,  "wres- 
tling,  roast  beef,  and  reading  books/'  must  be  satisfied  as  well  as 
those  of  the  pupil  who  would  put  reading  first  on  his  list.  In  this 
selection  of  books  for  individual  children  the  English  department 
of  the  high  school  and  the  library  work  together.  There  is  also  close 
cooperation  between  the  library  and  the  teachers  in  the  elementary 
school. 

The  Lincoln  School  makes  use  of  the  library  very  early  in  the 
child's  school  life.  There  are  books  in  the  grade  rooms,  as  is  neces- 
sary, but  as  soon  as  the  children  are  ready  for  it,  they  go  to  the 
library,  have  their  own  cards,  and  thus  feel  that  they  are  indi- 
vidual users  of  the  library.  For  some  children  this  use  of  the  library 
begins  as  early  as  the  second  half  of  the  second  year  in  school,  for 
others  not  until  the  third  year;  in  every  case  it  is  determined  by  indi- 
vidual need  and  capacity.  To  send  pupils  to  the  library  would  be 
undesirable  without  very  close  cooperation  between  teacher  and 
librarian.  Both  must  know  the  children  and  the  books.  The  child's 
selection  of  a  book  is  made  an  individual  activity,  and  then  if,  after 
all,  the  book  which  is  taken  back  to  the  class  room  is  the  wrong  book 
for  the  pupil  at  that  time,  the  teacher  discovers  it  and  suggests  a 
change.  If  the  teacher  thinks  of  the  right  book  she  sends  word  to 
the  library ;  if  the  librarian  discovers  a  book  which  seems  the  correct 
one  for  a  certain  pupil  or  for  a  group  of  pupils,  she  brings  it  to  the 
attention  of  the  teacher.  In  this  way  the  supervision  of  a  pupil's 
reading  is  almost  as  close  as  though  the  entire  class  were  given  the 
same  book  to  read  in  the  class  room,  and  it  is  much  more  interesting 
for  all.  This  chance  for  individual  choice  within  the  limits  of  the 
books  which  can  be  properly  read,  provides  a  better  opportunity  for 
promoting  a  taste  for  the  best  in  literature  than  does  the  method  of 
giving  each  one  the  same  "best  thing"  to  read.  The  "best  thing"  is 
not  the  same  for  all  of  us;  one  child  may  eagerly  devour  Robinson 
Crusoe,  another  of  the  same  age  may  greatly  prefer  the  Arabian 
Nights,  or  the  same  child  may  want  Robinson  Crusoe  one  week  and 
the  Arabian  Nights  the  next.  If  he  is  given  each  one  according  to  his 
inclination  he  will  like  both  instead  of  being  prejudiced  against  a 
good  book  because  it  is  presented  to  him  at  the  wrong  time.  Taste 
is  formed  by  giving  a  child  the  beautiful  thing  in  literature,  and  giv- 
ing it  at  a  time  suitable  for  his  age.  We  must  remember,  too,  that 


LINCOLN  SCHOOL  LIBRARY 


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not  everything  which  a  pupil  needs  is,  or  can  be  truly  literature. 
We  must  see  to  it,  of  course,  that  everything  read  is  written  in  good 
English,  but  for  some  the  informational  book  and  the  book  about 
everyday  life  and  everyday  people  must  be  used  early,  and  this 
type  of  book,  as  a  rule,  is  not  literature.  Those  persons  must 
not  be  allowed  to  use  this  type  of  book  altogether,  but  as  their 
skill  increases,  they  should  have  the  experience  of  imaginative 
literature  as  well.  A  school  with  a  library  has  an  advantage  over 
schools  which  can  furnish  only  a  list  of  titles  to  be  read  because  it 
can  supply  the  individual  experience  of  choosing  a  book,  under 
supervision,  but  supervision  with  friendly  interest  and  companionship. 
The  school  library  can  offer  a  varied  selection  for  different  types  of 
children  and  this  should  make  them  real  lovers  and  users  of  books. 

Annotated  book  lists  are  made  by  the  librarian,  with  the  coopera- 
tion of  the  teachers,  to  call  attention  to  certain  groups  of  books  of 
special  or  timely  interest.  For  instance,  for  a  history  class  a  list  of 
such  historical  stories  as  Pyle's  Men  of  Iron  and  Otto  of  the  Silver 
Hand,  Marshall's  Cedric  the  Forester,  Lamprey's  Days  of  the  Guild 
has  been  compiled;  or  for  a  fifth  grade  interested  in  the  Odyssey 
the  following  have  been  suggested :  Baldwin's  Golden  Age,  Peabody's 
Old  Greek  Folk  Stories,  Hutchinson's  Orpheus  and  His  Lute,  Buckley's 
Children  of  the  Dawn,  Kingsley's  Greek  Heroes,  Hawthorne's  Won- 
derbook  and  Tanglewood  Tales,  Colum's  The  Children's  Homer,  and 
McGregor's  Story  of  Greece.  Lists  of  books  suggested  for  summer 
reading  are  also  made. 

Another  function  of  the  school  library  is  to  teach  the  use  of  books 
as  tools.  A  university  president  has  said,  "Instruction  and  guid- 
ance in  the  use  of  the  library  would  be  about  as  important  a  course 
of  instruction  as  the  American  student  could  possibly  have  given 
him."  The  knowledge  of  how  to  find  material  on  a  special  topic  by 
using  the  card  catalogue  and  the  indexes  to  the  magazines,  and  of 
how  to  make  an  accurate  and  usable  bibliography  or  list  of  references 
will  save  much  time  for  college  students,  and  will  help  to  make  the 
pupils  who  never  go  to  college  intelligent  users  of  books  and  of  the 
public  library. 

The  greater  part  of  the  instruction  in  the  use  of  books  and  the 
library  is  given,  in  the  Lincoln  School,  during  the  seventh,  eighth, 
and  ninth  years.  For  several  reasons  this  seems  the  most  favorable 
time;  the  program  is  not  so  heavy  as  in  the  senior  high  school,  and, 
even  more  important,  the  interest  is  very  much  keener.  Since  these 


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lessons  are  more  effective  if  they  are  aimed  at  accomplishing  an 
immediate  end,  they  are  connected  as  closely  as  possible  with  the 
work  in  various  classes.  For  example,  a  series  of  ten  lessons  has 
been  given  to  the  seventh  grade  in  connection  with  geography,  in 
periods  conducted  by  the  geography  teacher.  The  class  met  in  the 
library  but  the  teaching  was  done  jointly  by  the  geography  teacher 
and  librarian.  When  the  librarian  explained  to  the  class  a  certain 
reference  book,  the  geography  teacher  brought  out  its  value  with 
reference  to  specific  work  the  class  was  doing  at  that  time.  The 
children  were  first  given  a  lesson  on  the  printed  parts  of  a  book, — 
table  of  contents,  index,  etc.  They  put  their  knowledge  into  practice 
by  using  the  index  to  find  what  information  about  the  products  of 
France  there  was  in  the  books  available.  Later,  after  the  class  had 
been  shown  the  proper  form  of  entry,  these  references  were  combined 
into  a  bibliography.  The  meaning  and  importance  of  the  copyright 
date  were  brought  home  by  asking  the  class  to  decide  which  book  of 
those  they  had  examined  contained  the  most  up-to-date  material. 
After  using  books  like  Allen's  Europe,  and  J.  R.  Smith's  Commerce 
and  Industry,  they  learned  how  they  could  supplement  this  material 
by  such  reference  books  as  Mawson's  Geographical  Manual,  the 
World  Almanac,  and  the  Statesman' s  Yearbook.  After  they  had  learned 
to  use  the  individual  books  readily,  they  were  shown  the  arrange- 
ment of  books  on  the  shelves;  that  is,  how  the  books  are  grouped  by 
subjects.  Then  the  use  of  the  card  catalogue  was  explained  to  them ; 
they  learned  how  they  could  find  what  books  the  library  had  on  a 
certain  subject,  what  books  by  a  certain  author  were  in  the  library, 
and  whether  the  library  had  a  book  with  a  certain  title.  Several 
pupils  then  went  to  the  catalogue  in  turn,  the  first  finding  the  group 
of  cards  which  represented  the  books  or  parts  of  books  on  Italy,  the 
others  reading  off  the  references  by  author,  title,  and  call  number. 
The  class  made  a  list  of  the  titles  as  they  were  read,  and  other 
children  went  to  the  shelves  to  find  the  books.  A  trip  made  by  the 
class  to  the  public  library,  accompanied  by  geography  teacher  and 
librarian,  showed  them  that  the  process  of  looking  up  a  topic  there 
is  the  same,  in  principle,  as  in  their  own  library,  and  helped  to  fix 
these  lessons  in  their  minds.  Finally,  instead  of  undergoing  a  formal 
test,  the  class  spent  a  period  in  the  library  putting  into  practice  the 
knowledge  they  had  gained,  by  looking  up  independently  their  next 
topic  in  geography.  This  series  of  lessons  has  also  been  taught  in 
connection  with  a  seventh-grade  history  course. 


LINCOLN  SCHOOL  LIBRARY 


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The  eighth  grade  is  given  a  series  of  lessons  in  general  like  the 
following,  although  often  modified  according  to  the  special  needs  of 
the  class. 

I.  Review:  Printed  parts  of  a  book,  arrangement  of  books  on  the  shelves,  card 

catalogue. 
2-3.  Dictionaries. 

4.  Encyclopedia  and  other  general  reference  books. 

5-6.  Special  reference  books,  e.  g.,  Chambers'  Book  of  Days,  the  Encyclopedia  of 
Foods  and  Beverages,  Scientific  American  Cyclopedia  of  Formulas,  Century 
Dictionary  of  Names,  Bartlett's  Familiar  Quotations,  etc. 

7.  Reader's  Guide  to  Periodical  Literature. 

8.  Review. 

9.  Written  review. 

At  the  end  of  these  lessons  the  pupils  have  been  found  capable  of 
answering  a  written  test  consisting  of  the  following  or  similar 
questions. 

Written  Lesson 

1.  What  information  about  a  word  will  a  dictionary  give  you?  Name  three  large 

dictionaries  you  have  used. 

2.  What  is  the  copyright  date  of  a  book?  Why  is  it  important  to  notice  the  copy- 

right date? 

3.  What  is  the  difference  between  an  index  and  a  table  of  contents?  When  would 

the  index  help  you  most?  When  would  the  table  of  contents  help  you  most? 

4.  If  you  wanted  to  read  a  magazine  article  on  the  gyroscope  how  would  you  go  to 

work  to  find  it? 

5.  What  three  questions  does  the  card  catalogue  answer? 

6.  In  what  reference  books  would  you  look  to  find  the  following: 

a.  Total  wheat  production  of  the  United  States  in  1905,  1910,  1915. 

b.  Something  about  old  English  Christmas  customs. 

c.  The  price  of  coal  in  the  United  States  in  19 17. 

d.  The  author  of  the  quotation,  "The  mountain  and  the  squirrel  had  a 
quarrel." 

e.  A  recipe  for  making  glue. 

f.  When  Mr.  William  McAdoo  was  born  and  his  present  address. 

g.  The  area  and  population  of  Australia. 

One  period  during  the  seventh  or  eighth  year  is  given  to  an 
exercise,  conducted  by  the  household  arts  teacher  and  the  librarian 
together,  to  help  in  familiarizing  the  pupils  with  the  books  related 
to  household  arts.  The  books  are  placed  on  tables  and,  after  the 
teacher  has  briefly  described  and  shown  them  to  the  class,  slips  are 
distributed,  each  one  with  a  question.  The  children  then  look  over 
the  books,  select  those  they  think  most  likely  to  give  them  the  in- 
formation, try  to  find  the  answer  to  the  question  on  their  slip,  and, 


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if  successful,  make  a  record  of  the  volume  and  page  where  it  was 
found.  The  industrial  arts  teacher  and  the  librarian  have  cooperated 
in  showing  classes  how  to  list  references  to  the  books  which  they 
use  in  connection  with  their  shop  work. 

The  ninth  grade  has  been  given  talks  on  general  magazines  by  the 
librarian,  and  on  technical  and  scientific  magazines  by  the  science 
teachers ;  more  detailed  instruction  on  the  use  of  magazine  indexes, 
and  practice  in  the  making  of  a  bibliography.  This  latter  part  of 
the  work  was  done  in  cooperation  with  the  biology  teacher.  After  a 
lesson  showing  what  a  bibliography  is  and  how  to  make  one,  the 
class  used  one  or  two  periods  in  looking  up  references  on  their  indi- 
vidual topics  in  the  library,  with  the  help  of  the  librarian  and  the 
teacher;  the  bibliographies,  when  finished,  were  handed  in  to  the 
librarian  for  criticism  of  their  form  and  accuracy.  The  following  are 
examples  of  bibliographies  made  by  ninth-grade  pupils.  They  are 
here  given  just  as  they  were  handed  in  by  the  pupils. 

Bibliography  on  Corn  (Maize) 

[.  Brooks,  Eugene  Clyde.   The  Story  of  Corn  and  the  Westward  Migration. 
Rand,  McNally  and  Company,  1916. 

2.  Crissey,  Forrest.  The  Story  of  Foods,  Chapter  4,  Other  Grains,  pages  60-77. 

Rand,  McNally  and  Company.  1917. 

3.  Finch,  V.  C.  and  Baker,  O.  E.  Geography  of  the  World's  Agriculture,  Corn, 

pages  29-34.  Washington,  Government  Printing  Office.  1917. 

4.  Smith,  J.  Russell.  The  World's  Food  Resources,  Chapter  5,  Corn  and  its  Sub- 

stitutes, pages  107-137.   Henry  Holt  and  Company,  1919. 

5.  Ward,  Artemas.    The  Encyclopedia  of  Foods  and  Beverages,  Corn,  pages 

191-93,  191 1- 

6.  The  World  Almanac  and  Encyclopedia.  Wheat  and  Corn  Crops  in  the  United 

States,  page  322,  The  World.  1920. 

Bibliography  on  Sugar  Cane 

Carpenter,  F.  G.   Cane  Sugar  (see  his  "How  the  World  is  Fed",  page  328-337, 

1907)   Published  by  the  American  Book  Company. 
Chamberlain,  James  F.    Cane  Sugar  (see  his,  "How  We  Are  Fed",  page  77-83, 

191 7)   Published  by  The  Macmillan  Company. 
Crissey,  Forrest.    Cane  Sugar  (see  his  "The  Story  of  Foods",  page  428-434,  1917) 

Published  by  Rand,  McNally  and  Company. 
Warner  Sugar  Refining  Company  (see  their  "From  Sugar  Cane  to  Sugar  Bowl" 

1916)   Published  by  Warner  Sugar  Refining  Company. 

In  periods  allotted  to  the  social  studies,  the  ninth-grade  children 
are  made  acquainted  with  some  of  the  many  government  publica- 
tions which  are  of  use  in  everyday  life,  and  are  shown  how  they 
may  be  obtained. 


LINCOLN  SCHOOL  LIBRARY 


9 


Additional  lessons  on  the  use  of  books  and  the  library  are  given 
in  the  senior  high  school.  During  the  first-year  chemistry  course, 
for  example,  two  more  lessons  on  making  a  bibliography  are  given, 
in  order  to  help  the  pupils  in  preparing  a  more  elaborate  bibliography 
for  their  chemistry  report.  The  following  is  an  example  of  these 
tenth-grade  bibliographies. 

Mercury 

Condensed  Chemical  Dictionary.  New  York. 
Chemical  Catalog.    1919.    p.  316-17. 

Ford,  W.  E. 

Mercury  (see  Dana's  Manual  of  Mineralogy. 

London.  Wiley.  1912.  p.  321) 
Gratacap,  L.  P. 

Mercury  (see  his  Popular  Guide  to  Minerals.' 

New  York.    Van  Nostrand.    p.  116) 
Leighton,  R.  B. 

Mercury  (see  his  Chemistry  of  Materials. 

New  York.    McGraw.    191 7.    p.  161) 
McPherson,  W.  and  Henderson,  W.  E. 

Mercury  (see  First  Course  in  Chemistry 

Ginn.    Boston.    1915.    p.  362-63) 
Mineral  Industry,  The.  New  York. 

McGraw.    1919.   p.  629-38. 
Rogers,  Allen. 

Mercury  (see  his  Manual  of  Industrial  Chemistry. 

New  York.  Van  Nostrand.  1912.  p.  235) 
U.  S.  Geological  Survey 

Mercury,    (see  U.  S.  Geological  Survey.    Useful  Minerals  of  U.  S. 

Bulletin  624,  1917.    p.  384) 
U.  S.  Geological  Survey 

Quicksilver  (see  U.  S.  Geological  Survey.  Mineral  Resources  of  the  U.  S.  1916. 

v.  1,  p.  757-73) 
World  Almanac 

Mercury.  New  York.  Press.  1922.  p.  125-26. 
World  Book,  The 

Mercury.  Quarrie.  Chicago.  192 1.  v.  6.  p.  37-42. 

In  the  elementary  school,  instruction  in  the  use  of  books  and  the 
library  has  been  largely  individual,  but  even  children  in  the  second 
grade  use  the  library  to  look  up  simple  reference  questions,  teacher 
and  librarian  cooperating,  so  that  the  librarian  knows  beforehand 
what  topics  are  to  be  called  for.  Letters  written  by  pupils  are  sent 
to  the  librarian,  who  after  consulting  with  the  teacher  is  able  to 
provide  material  that  the  children  can  use.  Thus  they  not  only  have 


10 


THE  LINCOLN  SCHOOL 


the  experience  of  finding  answers  to  their  questions  but  are  im- 
pressed with  the  fact  that  the  library  is  a  place  where  they  can 
"find  out  things."  Specimens  of  letters  written  by  third-grade  pupils 
follow : 

Will  you  please  give  me  a  book  that  would  tell  about  making  a  syphon? 

I  would  like  to  know  whether  animals  in  an  aquarium  should  be  fed;  and  how 
many  times  a  week  they  should  be  fed. 

I  want  to  find  out  how  the  dragon-fly  nymphs  turn  into  dragon-flies. 

ILLUSTRATIVE  MATERIAL 

During  the  school  year  1921-22  the  Lincoln  School  library  circu- 
lated to  teachers  for  class  use  and  to  individual  pupils,  1244  pic- 
tures on  142  different  subjects.  These  pictures  are  kept  unmounted 
in  manila  folders,  arranged  alphabetically  by  subjects,  in  a  vertical 
file.  When  loaned  for  class  use  they  are  placed  in  celluloid  picture 
holders.  This  saves  time  in  mounting,  space  in  storing,  and  has 
the  added  advantage  of  protecting  valuable  prints  and  photographs. 
The  pictures  in  the  Lincoln  School  picture  collection,  wrhich  con- 
tains approximately  12,000  pictures  on  more  than  250  different 
subjects,  have  been  obtained  from  many  different  sources  and 
range  from  a  set  of  rare  and  valuable  photographs  of  Lincoln  to 
pictures  clipped  from  old  magazines,  railroad  folders,  and  trade 
pamphlets.  Such  booklets  as  "Paper  Making"  (Hampshire  Paper 
Co.)  and  "From  Sugar  Cane  to  Sugar  Bowl"  (Warner  Sugar  Refining 
Co.)  furnish  valuable  material  for  this  collection.  The  stereoscope 
pictures  and  slides  owned  by  the  school  are  listed  and  stored  in  the 
library,  and  circulated  from  it. 

The  Pupils  and  the  Library 

The  following  figures  give  some  idea  of  the  use  made  of  the 
library  by  the  three  hundred  pupils  and  teachers  during  the  school 
year,  1921-22: 

Books  circulated  for  home  reading  and  study.  .5,442 
Books  circulated  for  use  in  the  building  i>746 

An  actual  count  was  made  of  526  reference  questions  looked  up  in 
the  library  by  pupils  and  teachers.  These  figures,  however,  do  not 
by  any  means  indicate  completely  and  accurately  the  use  made  of 
the  library  for  reference,  but  only  the  number  of  times  the  librarian 
was  asked  for  help  and  advice.  Every  year  there  is  an  increasing 


LINCOLN  SCHOOL  LIBRARY 


II 


number  of  students  who  are  able  to  use  reference  books  by  them- 
selves, who  consult  the  Reader  s  Guide  to  Periodical  Literature,  the 
Statesman's  Yearbook,  the  Cyclopedia  of  American  Government,  etc. 
without  having  to  ask  for  help.  The  following  is  the  record  of  the 
questions  looked  up  in  the  library,  during  one  day  selected  at 
random. 


Life  of  Alfred  Noyes  I2th-grade  pupil 

Monticello  8th-grade  pupil 

Birches,  by  Robert  Frost  Teacher 

How  long  did  Henry  the  VIII  reign?  6th-grade  pupil 

Identification  of  whelk's  egg  3rd-grade  pupil 

Identification  of  skate's  egg  3rd-grade  pupil 

Some  of  the  causes  of  dreams  7th-grade  pupil 

Sir  Robert  Home's  proposal   ioth-grade  pupil 

The  Sevres  Treaty  ioth-grade  pupil 

The  "Iron  Age" — when  and  what  it  was  5th-grade  pupil 

How  an  Eskimo  snow  hut  is  built  2nd-grade  pupil 

Wireless  (theory)  I2th-grade  pupil 

Cause  of  financial  panics  9th-grade  pupil 

Where  aluminum  is  found   ioth-grade  pupil 

How  gold  is  mined   ioth-grade  pupil 

Citizenship  requirements  for  New  York  State  9th-grade  pupil 

Plan  of  an  Homeric  house  Teacher 

Cocoanut  palms  (pictures)  3rd-grade  pupil 

Radioactivity  ioth-grade  pupil 

Panic  prevention  ioth-grade  pupil 


Pictures  and  other  illustrative  material  are  not  always  taken  out 
for  use  in  the  class  room,  but  are  brought  together  in  various  ways 
in  the  library  for  consultation  there.  For  example,  when  a  seventh- 
grade  history  class  was  studying  the  medieval  castle,  material 
was  collected  to  aid  the  class  in  drawing  a  plan  of  a  castle  and  then 
in  planning  its  assault  and  defense.  This  material,  arranged  on  the 
display  rack,  consisted  of  books  like  Tappan's  When  Knights  Were 
Bold,  Quennell's  Everyday  Things  in  England,  historical  stories 
such  as  Pyle's  Men  of  Iron  and  Otto  of  the  Silver  Hand,  Marshall's 
Cedric  the  Forester,  Longman's  historical  illustrations,  and  other 
pictures  illustrating  castles,  sieges,  and  attacks.  Later,  pictures 
illustrating  costumes,  armor,  and  life  in  the  middle  ages  were  added. 
The  librarian  was  present  at  the  class  period  when  the  plans  of 
attack  and  defense  were  explained,  and  helped  in  deciding  which 
side  won.  ^ 

During  the  last  week  before  the  close  of  school  the  out-door  books 


12 


THE  LINCOLN  SCHOOL 


on  the  list  for  summer  reading  and  for  use  in  making  summer  col- 
lections were  placed  on  tables  in  the  library  class  room.  Plates 
illustrating  insect,  plant,  and  animal  life,  and  United  States  geologi- 
cal survey  topographic  maps  were  displayed  on  the  bulletin  board, 
and  the  children  were  given  an  opportunity  to  look  over  the  books 
and  discuss  them  with  teachers  and  librarian.  At  one  time  books  of 
poetry  were  brought  together  for  the  sixth  grade,  and  the  libra- 
rian read  aloud  to  them  during  an  informal  poetry  hour.  At  another 
time,  books,  poems,  and  pictures  illustrating  the  life  and  times  of 
King  John  and  Richard  I  helped  the  sixth  grade  to  acquire  a  his- 
torical background  for  their  ballad  study. 

Round-table  discussions  or  conferences  have  been  held  by  the 
librarian  and  teachers  with  the  different  grades  in  the  elementary 
school  to  discuss  books  already  read  or  to  suggest  books  for  further 
reading.  In  the  case  of  children  who  need  to  be  encouraged  to  read, 
enthusiastic  accounts  of  favorite  books  act  as  an  incentive.  The 
children  take  part  in  these  discussions  with  enthusiasm.  At  the 
beginning  of  the  year  the  librarian  meets  with  each  class  in  the  ele- 
mentary school  to  show  to  them  and  talk  over  with  them  the  books 
that  they  may  like  to  read  during  the  year.  In  the  case  of  the 
second  grade  this  is  done  during  the  second  half  of  the  year,  when 
at  least  a  portion  of  the  class  is  ready  to  use  the  library. 

STORY  HOURS 

Stories  are  told  by  the  librarian  or  assistant  librarian  at  the  time 
and  on  the  subject  requested  by  the  teachers  as,  for  example,  Hal- 
lowe'en stories,  May  Day  stories,  a  Greek  myth,  or  the  story  of 
Joseph,  this  last  to  the  second  grade  when  they  were  making  a  study 
of  food.  In  the  case  of  the  older  children  these  stories  may  be 
directly  connected  with  books  suggested  for  reading.  In  the  lower 
grades  they  form  a  point  of  contact  and  help  the  younger  children  to 
feel  that  they,  too,  have  a  share  in  the  school  library.  In  one  case 
when  a  second  grade  asked  for  a  Spring  story,  the  children's  own 
poems  and  stories  were  used  in  a  setting  provided  by  the  librarian, 
so  that  the  result  was  a  sort  of  group  product. 

ASSEMBLIES 

Assemblies  in  the  library,  showing  how  it  is  used  by  different 
grades,  have  proved  useful,  not  only  for  arousing  interest  in  reading, 
but  for  promoting  the  care  of  books  and  library  property.  Full 


LINCOLN  SCHOOL  LIBRARY 


13 


accounts  of  two  elementary  school  assemblies  on  the  library  are 
given  on  pages  38-52  of  Some  Uses  of  School  Assemblies,  a  booklet 
published  by  the  Lincoln  School.  In  the  first,  after  an  introduction 
by  the  librarian,  representatives  from  every  grade  from  the  first 
to  the  sixth,  explained  one  or  more  ways  in  which  their  grade  had 
made  use  of  the  library.  For  example  Charlotte  of  Grade  II  and 
Fred  of  Grade  III  explained  respectively  as  follows: 

One  day  we  all  went  up  to  the  library.  We  sat  around  Miss  Eaton's  desk  and 
Miss  Eaton  told  us  a  story  of  the  little  lame  prince,  how  he  had  been  shut  up  in  a 
tower  and  couldn't  see  anybody  and  nobody  could  see  him,  and  one  day  a  fairy 
godmother  came  into  the  tower  and  brought  him  a  magic  travelling  cloak,  and 
she  said  he  could  sit  on  the  travelling  cloak  and  wish  where  he  wanted  to  go  and 
it  would  take  him  where  he  wished.  After  that  Miss  Eaton  told  us  that  we  have  a 
magic  travelling  cloak,  just  as  much  as  the  little  lame  prince  had  and  what  do  you 
suppose  that  is?  They  are  books.  All  over  Miss  Eaton's  desk  she  had  selected 
books  which  she  thought  the  second  grade  could  read  and  we  have  been  deciding 
where  we  wanted  to  go  and  they  have  taken  us  all  over  the  world. 

This  is  another  way  we  use  the  library.  Augustus  had  finished  his  battleship. 
He  asked  Miss  Curtis  to  guess  what  he  wanted  to  do.  Miss  Curtis  asked,  "What?" 
Augustus  said,  "I  am  going  to  put  my  ship  in  full  dress."  That  means  with  all  the 
flags  flying  as  they  came  into  harbour  a  few  days  ago.  Miss  Curtis  said,  "What 
flags  do  ships  fly?"  Augustus  said,  "I  don't  know."  Miss  Curtis  asked  where  you 
can  find  out  and  Augustus  said,  "I  don't  know."  Miss  Curtis  said,  "You  go  to  the 
library  to  find  out  things  like  that."  He  came  in  very  early  one  morning.  He  went 
up  to  the  library  and  came  down  with  this  book,  Flags  of  the  World.  It  tells  you 
about  all  the  flags  of  the  navy.  And  that  is  another  way  we  use  the  library  for  any 
information. 

In  the  second  assembly  a  "Shelf  of  Books"  was  represented. 
Each  grade  selected  one  or  more  books  and  children  from  each 
grade  in  costume  represented  the  book  or  books  selected.  Another 
group  of  children,  representing  readers  in  the  library  and  the  libra- 
rian in  person,  talked  about  the  books  on  the  shelf.  The  second  half 
of  the  program  emphasized  the  importance  of  taking  care  of  books ; 
the  sixth  grade  told  of  the  different  processes  which  go  to  the  making 
of  a  book;  the  fifth  grade  showed  by  lists  and  charts  the  increasing 
cost  of  books;  the  fourth  grade  explained  certain  careless  ways  of 
treating  books,  which  damage  them  and  destroy  the  pleasure  of 
other  readers.  The  material  used  in  their  talks  was  suggested  and 
worked  out  by  the  children  themselves.  There  follow  some  of  the 
children's  letters  written  to  the  librarian  after  the  assembly.  Each 
paragraph  is  a  separate  letter. 

I  want  to  thank  you  for  making  this  assembly  so  nice.  I  appreciate  the  trouble 
you  have  taken  to  make  it  so  very  nice.  The  part  I  liked  best  was  the  part  that 


14 


THE  LINCOLN  SCHOOL 


was  spoken  last.  I  think  it  best  shows  what  kind  of  a  spirit  one  must  have  toward 
books. 

The  assembly  was  lovely.  I  liked  the  bookshelf  about  the  best  thing  we  had. 
I  will  never  ill  treat  a  book  again.  I  think  that  if  you  had  an  assembly  like  that 
every  year  for  the  new  children  so  that  they  would  know  how  to  use  library  books. 

I  think  the  library  asembly  was  a  very  good  thing.   I  enjoyed  it  very  much 
I  think  everybody  enjoyed  it  too.  I  enjoyed  being  Tom  Sawyer.  Every  one  who 
acted,  acted  very  well  I  think.  You  acted  very  well  too. 

I  just  loved  that  assembly  about  the  books.  I  liked  the  part  where  John  Cross 
told  just  a  part  of  Robin  Hood.   I  liked  the  way  it  was  fixed  up. 

I  loved  the  assembly.  I  like  it  because  it  showed  me  how  to  take  care  of  a  book. 
I  liked  the  Shelf  of  Books  very  much  and  the  Picture  Book,  too.  I  would  like  to 
read  Donkey  John  of  the  Toy  V  alley. 

I  appreciated  the  assembly  that  you  helped  us  give.  I  am  sure  everybody  en- 
joyed it.  The  books  gave  me  an  idea  of  which  one  I  would  like  to  take.  I  hope  we 
have  another  assembly  because  it  reminds  you  of  how  you  should  treat  a  book. 

I  am  sure  that  I  will  try  my  best  to  take  good  care  of  all  the  books  that  come  in 
my  hands.  I  did  not  expect  the  assembly  to  be  so  nice  and  I  am  sure  you  took  a 
lot  of  trouble  to  make  it  so  good.  Of  all  the  books  mentioned  I  liked  Treasure 
Island.   I  will  appreciate  the  value  of  books  very  much  more. 

Suggestions  for  a  third  library  assembly  were  asked  for  from  the 
grades  through  the  elementary  school  library  committee,  made  up 
of  representatives  from  Grades  II  to  VI,  and  the  result  was  the 
following  play  written  by  Janet,  a  sixth-grade  girl. 


Emma:  Oh,  dear,  I  wish  it  wouldn't  rain.  I  wanted  to  go  to  the  Park  this  after- 
noon!  {Enter  Elizabeth.) 

Elizabeth:  I  think  it's  mean!  Listen,  Emmy,  Miss  Girardi  just  said  that  mother 
telephoned  that  we  will  have  to  wait  here  for  her  until  the  rain  stops! 

Emma:  Oh,  of  all  the  poky  places  to  stay!  I  so  wanted  to  go  to  the  Park  to  play 
with  Mary  and  Edna! 

Elizabeth:  I  know,  its  perfectly  horrid,  but  come  on,  here's  a  picture  book  for 
you,  and  I'll  try  to  get  interested  in  that  book  they  all  think  so  wonderful, 
Tom  Sawyer. 

(As  Elizabeth  speaks  she  hands  Emma  a  picture  book,  which  she  picks  up  from 
the  table,  and  she  herself  goes  to  the  shelves  and  gets  a  copy  of  Tom  Sawyer. 
Gradually  the  light  gets  fainter  and  fainter,  and,  finally,  the  children  fall  asleep. 


A  Dream  in  the  Library 


characters 


SCENE 


Emma,  a  little  girl  six  years  old. 

Elizabeth,  her  older  sister. 

Miss  Eaton,  the  librarian. 

Two  children  from  each  grade,  each 

child  representing  a  favorite  book  from 

his  grade. 


The  school  library.  A  little  girl 
about  six  years  old,  Emma,  is  wan- 
dering around,  occasionally  looking 
out  of  the  window  into  the  fast  falling 
rain.  (Miss  Eaton  is  not  in  the  library 
when  the  play  starts.) 


LINCOLN  SCHOOL  LIBRARY 


15 


When  they  are  asleep,  twelve  children,  two  from  every  grade,  dressed  each  as  a 
character  of  a  favorite  book  of  each  of  the  six  grades,  enter.  The  characters  dance 
around  and  talk  as  they  would  in  the  books.  This  part  must  be  worked  up  by  the 
grades,  as  they  will  have  to  choose  the  books,  and  the  people  who  will  have  to  act 
the  parts  of  the  books.  After  the  dance  and  talk  is  over,  the  characters  disappear, 
and  the  light  gradually  returns.  The  children  then  awake.  They  talk  about  what 
they  have  just  dreamt.  This  dialogue  cannot  be  worked  up  until  the  grades  have 
chosen  the  books  they  are  going  to  act.) 

Emma:  Oh,  I'll  never  call  the  library  a  poky  place  again.  I  think  it's  wonderful! 

Elizabeth:  Yes,  I  certainly  do  want  to  know  more  about  these  lovely  books! 

(Enter  Miss  Eaton,  hurriedly,  with  a  book  under  each  arm.  The  children  rush  up 
to  her  and  ask  if  they  cannot  take  out  the  books  they  have  been  dreaming  about.) 

Elizabeth:  Oh,  Miss  Eaton,  is  the  library  open  on  Saturdays?   I'm  sure  I'd 
much  rather  come  here  than  go  to  the  theatre!  Wouldn't  you,  Emma? 

Emma:  Yes,  I  would. 

Miss  Eaton  .  .  .  (Miss  Eaton  here  ends  the  play  with  her  answer  and  some 
message  to  the  audience,  which  she  herself  may  wish  to  compose.) 

[Curtain] 

This  was  presented  substantially  as  written  and  was  worked  out 
almost  entirely  unaided  by  the  children  themselves,  each  grade, 
as  suggested,  selecting  the  books  they  wished  to  represent,  the 
characters  to  represent  them,  and  arranging  the  dialogue  and 
conversation.  The  Peterkin  Family  writing  a  book,  Robinson 
Crusoe  lamenting  his  solitude,  a  Knight  of  the  Round  Table  taking 
the  oath  of  allegiance,  Jo  from  Little  Women  writing  in  her  journal, 
Hoppity  and  Tippety  from  Katharine  Pyle's  Tales  of  Two  Bun- 
nies, Wallace  and  his  henchman  from  the  Scottish  Chiefs,  and  others 
were  enthusiastically  received  by  the  audience. 

BOOK  REPORTS 

Children  in  all  the  grades  beginning  with  the  second  have  been 
encouraged  to  write,  on  large  cards  specially  prepared  for  the  pur- 
pose, brief  reports  on  the  books  they  have  read.  In  the  second  grade, 
and  sometimes  in  the  third,  these  reports  are  dictated.  Care  must 
always  be  taken  of  course  to  avoid  making  these  reports  too  much 
of  a  task  and  thus  discourage  reading.  The  librarian  meets  the 
different  classes  early  in  the  school  year  and  talks  these  reports 
over  with  them,  trying  to  make  the  pupils  feel  that  the  reports  have 
a  real  use  and  purpose  in  helping  other  boys  and  girls  to  select  their 
books,  and  in  helping  the  librarian  to  know  what  boys  and  girls 


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THE  LINCOLN  SCHOOL 


like.  What  the  report  should  consist  of  is  discussed;  whether,  for 
example,  it  should  tell  all  the  story  or  only  enough  to  arouse  a 
possible  reader's  interest.  The  cards  are  kept  filed  in  the  library 
and  the  children  consult  them  freely.  The  following  are  examples 
of  reports  dictated  or  written  by  children  in  Grades  II  to  X.  There 
has  never  been  any  difficulty  in  obtaining  genuine  expressions  of 
opinion,  for  no  child  is  made  to  feel  that  he  is  required  to  write  a 
favorable  report  if  he  does  not  like  the  book. 

Carrick,  Yalery.    Russian  Picture  Tales. 

The  lame  duck  was  one  of  the  very  best  stories.  It  had  very  nice  pictures  in  the 
book,  too.  There  was  a  man  and  a  woman  who  wanted  to  find  mushrooms  and 
found  a  nest  with  a  lame  duck.  They  took  the  duck  home.  They  kept  the  duck 
and  if  you  read  the  story  you'll  find  out  how  the  duck  helped  them. 

Anne.    Second  Grade.  (Dictated) 

Pyle,  Katharine.  Six  Little  Ducklings. 

I  liked  the  book  better  than  any  book  I've  had.  I  liked  it  especially  at  the  end. 
The  ducklings  did  everything  their  mother  told  them  not  to  do.  They  lived  in  a 
hollow  tree  by  a  river.  Squdge  was  a  boy  and  he  was  the  one  who  always  started 
the  mischief. 

Cecilia.    Second  Grade.  (Dictated) 

Turner,  Nancy  Byrd.  Zodiac  Town. 

I  liked  the  book  very  much.  It  was  about  a  little  girl  and  boy  named  Amos  and 
Ann  and  they  ran  away  from  home  because  they  did  not  like  to  study  the  poem 
they  were  reading.  The  book  is  about  a  calendar.  Now  I  think  I  won't  tell  you 
any  more  about  the  book  because  you  won't  want  to  read  the  book. 

Virginia.    Third  Grade. 

Schwatka,  Frederick.   The  Children  of  the  Cold. 

I  do  not  think  it  is  very  good  because  it  only  tells  about  the  Eskimo  in  general. 
I  do  not  like  books  about  Eskimo  when  they  tell  about  the  Eskimo  in  general.  I 
did  not  read  it  through  but  I  am  going  to  get  it  again. 

Hilgard.    Grade  Three. 

(Teacher's  note — Hilgard  means  he  would  rather  have  a  book  about  a  character 
with  a  name.) 

Jacobs,  Joseph.  Celtic  Fairy  Tales. 

I  think  it  is  a  very  nice  book.  The  reason  why  I  got  it  was  because  I  heard  the 
person  that  had  it  before  I  did  say  what  she  thought  about  it.  I  thought  I  would 
read  it  so  I  did. 

Peter.    Third  Grade. 

Craik,  Mrs.  D.  M.    The  Little  Lame  Prince. 

This  book  is  about  a  little  prince.  His  name  was  Prince  Dolor.  It  is  not  a  true 
story,  it  is  a  fairy  story.  I  liked  it  very  much.  (It  was  a  little  hard  for  me  but  very 
nice.)  He  was  shut  up  in  a  tower  all  alone  with  a  nurse.  But  he  went  on  trips  by 
means  of  a  travelling  cloak  his  godmother  gave  him. 

Walter.    Fourth  Grade. 


LINCOLN  SCHOOL  LIBRARY 


17 


Macdonald,  George.    At  the  Back  of  the  North  Wind. 

I  did  not  like  it  at  all.  It  was  too  much  of  a  fairy  story.  It  tells  how  he  and  the 
North  Wind  go  on  many  adventures  far,  far  away. 

David.    Fourth  Grade. 

Crump,  Irving.  The  Boy's  Book  of  Policemen. 

This  book  is  very  interesting.  It  tells  about  the  policemen  of  New  York  and  how 
they  do  their  work.  The  part  I  liked  best  is  the  chapter  about  the  motor  cycle 
policemen.  This  is  true  and  teaches  you  some  things. 

Hermann.    Fourth  Grade. 

Hale,  Lucretia  P.  The  Peterkin  Papers. 

I  liked  it  very  much.  It  is  a  very  ridiculous  book.  The  part  I  liked  best  was 
when  the  Peterkin  family  wanted  a  telegram  boy.  It  is  not  a  book  for  information. 

David.    Fourth  Grade. 

Bostock,  Frank.    The  Training  of  WTild  Animals. 

The  book  is  very  interesting  because  it  tells  about  wild  animals  and  their  ways 
in  captivity.  It  tells  experiences  that  trainers  have  had.  In  one  instance  a  lion 
escapes  from  a  cage  and  gets  down  the  sewer  and  I  leave  it  to  you  to  find  out  what 
happened. 

Billy.    Fifth  Grade. 

Grenfell,  W7ilfred  T.    Adrift  on  an  Ice  Pan. 

This  book  is  about  how  Dr  Grenfell  went  to  take  care  of  a  sick  boy,  and  he  had 
to  cross  a  lot  of  ice  with  his  dog  team  before  he  could  get  there.  When  he  was  in 
the  middle  the  ice  broke  into  lots  of  small  pieces.  The  book  is  about  what  happened 
when  the  ice  broke  and  how  he  was  rescued.  I  liked  the  book.  I  think  you  would. 

Lawrence.    Sixth  Grade. 

Grahame,  Kenneth.  The  Wind  in  the  Willows. 

I  think  this  is  about  the  best  book  I  have  read  this  year,  next  to  the  "Call  of  the 
Wild"  and  "White  Fang."  These  books  and  the  "Wind  in  the  Willows"  are  all 
about  animals.  I  love  animal  stories.  The  animals  that  we  meet  the  most  in  this 
book  are  a  little  mole,  who  is  timid  at  first  after  he  comes  out  of  his  underground 
home  into  the  open,  but  who  grows  into  a  very  daring  fellow,  a  kindly  water  rat, 
into  whose  home  the  mole  strays,  a  toad  whose  fads  change  every  little  while;  and 
a  badger  who  lives  in  the  W7ild  Wood,  and  is  a  very  imperious  fellow.  The  reason 
I  liked  the  book  so  much  was  that  it  gave  such  intimate  touches  of  animal  life. 

Janet.    Sixth  Grade. 

Kipling,  Rudyard.  Captains  Courageous. 

The  story  of  a  multi-millionaire's  son  who  falls  off  a  European  steamer  and  is 
saved  by  a  fishing  boat.  This  is  really  the  making  of  the  boy. 

William.    Seventh  Grade. 

Mitchell,  S.  Weir.    The  Adventures  of  Francois. 

An  adventure  story  of  an  orphan  during  the  French  Revolution.  He  gets  into 
some  very  tight  scrapes. 

John.    Eighth  Grade. 

Beebe,  William.    Jungle  Peace. 

A  wonderful  story  of  the  Jungle.  A  wonderful  description  of  natural  things  in 
the  Jungle.  You  can  just  imagine  yourself  there. 

William.    Ninth  Grade. 


18 


THE  LINCOLN  SCHOOL 


Hugo,  Victor.    Les  Miserables. 

A  thrilling  delightful  story.  You  don't  have  to  work  to  get  into  it.  It  starts  with 
an  escaped  convict  asking  admission  to  a  very  good  and  saintly  priest's  house. 
The  priest  gladly  lets  him  in,  giving  him  supper  and  a  soft  bed.  But — during  the 
night — ah,  don't  guess — find  out! 

Elizabeth.    Tenth  Grade. 

In  a  class  discussion  with  the  teacher  the  following  criticisms  were 
made  by  a  fourth  grade  on  their  own  book  reports. 

It  is  not  necessary  to  say  "I  like  it"  as  well  as  "It  is  interesting." 
Many  of  the  reviews  would  not  help  a  person  who  is  a  stranger  to  the  book  to 
know  whether  he  wishes  to  read  it  or  not  . 
The  review  should  tell  the  part  you  liked. 
It  should  tell  why  you  liked  it. 
It  should  give  only  important  points. 

SELF-GOVERNMENT  IN  THE  LIBRARY  AND  LIBRARY  COMMITTEES 

The  Lincoln  School  feels  that  the  use  of  the  library,  involving  as 
it  does,  the  care  of  books,  promptness  in  returning  them,  and 
courtesy  in  the  reading  room,  is  an  important  factor  in  cultivating 
responsibility,  consideration  for  others,  and  regard  for  property. 
An  attempt  is  made  to  develop  the  right  attitude  toward  the 
library  by  encouraging  pupils  to  feel  pride  and  responsibility  rather 
than  by  making  formal  rules.  The  library  is  a  place  for  consulting 
reference  books  and  magazines,  for  doing  assigned  reading,  and  for 
recreation;  the  atmosphere  is  neither  that  of  a  study  hall,  nor  that 
of  a  room  used  for  unrestrained  conversation  and  recreation,  but 
one  of  quiet  freedom,  which  does  not  interfere  with  the  rights  of 
others. 

Library  committees  in  both  high  school  and  elementary  school 
help  the  librarian  to  deal  with  carelessness  in  using  books  and  with 
inconsiderate  behavior  in  the  reading  room,  and  in  preparing 
library  assemblies.  The  high-school  committee  consists  of  three 
members  appointed  by  the  high-school  council;  the  elementary 
school  committee  is  made  up  of  two  members  from  each  grade, 
from  the  second  to  the  sixth,  appointed  by  the  teacher  or  chosen 
by  the  class.  The  librarian  is  a  member  of  both  committees.  The 
following  is  a  report  made  by  the  elementary  school  library  com- 
mittee to  the  elementary  school  council  in  June,  1922. 

Report  of  the  Library  Committee 
The  library  committee  consists  of  two  children  from  each  grade,  from  the 
second  to  the  sixth  grade. 


LINCOLN  SCHOOL  LIBRARY 


19 


The  committee  had  meetings  during  the  year.  At  one  meeting  the  committee 
thought  they  could  make  suggestions  as  to  how  people  could  keep  the  library  a 
place  where  you  would  like  to  read  and  work.  These  suggestions  were  written 
down  and  were  to  be  printed  on  book  marks,  but  the  moving  interfered,  and  we 
think  we  will  do  it  next  year.  Toward  the  end  of  the  year  we  thought  it  would  be 
nice  to  give  a  Library  Assembly  to  interest  people  in  the  library  and  to  show  peo- 
ple how  to  use  it.  We  asked  the  different  grades  for  suggestions.  A  suggestion 
came  from  the  sixth  grade  to  give  a  little  play.  The  sixth  grade  made  some  posters 
to  show  people  how  to  care  for  books  and  the  library.  It  also  made  the  scenery  for 
the  play. 

Signed:  Katharine  Kiehl,  Chairman. 

The  "suggestions"  for  use  of  the  library  follow: 

How  to  Use  the  Library 

We  need  quiet  and  order  for  working  and  reading  in  the  library,  therefore 

1.  Come  in  and  out  quietly. 

2.  Do  not  read  aloud. 

3.  If  it  is  necessary  to  say  more  than  a  few  words  go  outside  the  library. 

4.  Books  like  dictionaries  and  encyclopedias  should  be  replaced  on  the  shelves 

after  you  have  used  them. 

5.  Books  should  be  returned  promptly  on  the  date  stamped  on  the  back  of  the 

book,  or  before. 

6.  Books  should  be  returned  in  just  as  good  condition  as  when  they  are  taken 

out. 

7.  Chairs  should  be  left  in  place. 

The  posters  spoken  of  served  as  a  means  of  connecting  the  library 
and  the  work  of  the  art  department.  Art  teacher,  grade  teacher,  and 
librarian  met  with  the  sixth  grade  and  discussed  the  various  ways 
in  which  the  library  should  be  used  and  books  treated.  The  class 
then  made  suggestions  for  posters  which  would  call  attention  to 
overdue  books,  careless  treatment  of  books,  untidy  library  shelves, 
etc.  Each  child  worked  out  his  own  idea  and  the  completed  posters 
were  used  in  library  and  class  rooms. 

Whenever  possible  the  library  tries  to  cooperate  with  the  dif- 
ferent organizations  in  the  school.  For  example,  some  of  the  Girl 
Scouts  have  done  their  "community  service"  by  putting  away  books 
and  pasting  book  pockets.  The  Boy  Scouts  have  helped  in  tying 
up  magazines  to  be  sent  to  the  bindery  and  in  doing  errands.  More 
important  than  the  actual  help  received,  is  the  opportunity  for  en- 
couraging a  feeling  of  library  citizenship. 


